Deflectable poultry beak appliance

ABSTRACT

A poultry beak appliance, such as a shield or blinder made of semi-rigid plastic material having extensions on both sides of the poultry beak for securing the appliance to the beak, said extensions provided with readily flexed end-portions for enabling the extensions to be deflected to release the head of the poultry when accidentally caught in a wire screen.

United States Patent Harwood et al.

[54] DEFLECTABLE POULTRY BEAK APPLIANCE [72] Inventors: Milton G.Harwood; Louis J. Harwood, both of PO. Box 38, Farmingdale, NJ. 07727[22] Filed: Jan. 29, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 6,727

[52] US. Cl. ..l19/97 R [51] Int. Cl. ..A01k 37/00 [58] Field of Search..119/97 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,130,102 9/1938Rudolph et al. ..119/97 R [451 Dec. 5, 1972 2,018,796 10/1935 Layton ..119/97 R 2,154,105 4/1939 Nadler ..l l9/97 R 2,445,867 7/1948 Wolfson eta1 ..1 19/97 R Primary Examiner-l-lugh R. Chamblee Attorney--l-larryErnest Rubens [5 7] ABSTRACT A poultry beak appliance, such as a shieldor blinder made of semi-rigid plastic material having extensions on bothsides of the poultry beak for securing the appliance to the beak, saidextensions provided with readily flexed end-portions for enabling theextensions to be deflected to release the head of the poultry whenaccidentally caught in a wire screen.

7 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEU 5 I97? 3 7 O4 6 8 9 F/GZ F/G.2.

LOUlS J. HARWOOD INVENTORS ATTORN Y M ILTON G4 HARWOOD DEFLECTABLEPOULTRY BEAK APPLIANCE This invention relates to an appliance forattachment to the beak of poultry to prevent damage to other members ofthe flock arising out of the pecking activities of the birds.

Such a device is normally attached to the beak by a fastener extendingthrough the nostrils of the poultry.

In US. Pat. No. 3,066,651, we provided an appliance in the form ofblinders which were made entirely flexible to permit release of theblinders when accidentally caught in a wire mesh enclosure within whichthe birds are usually confined.

However because of the present practice of removing the beak tips of thebirds after they are hatched, a shield is presently employed, as appearsin our US. Pat. No. 3,446,186.

We have found that the shield extensions of the appliance into which thefasteners are inserted are similarly caught by the wire mesh. Theshields being made of heavy plastic material to withstand the peckingpressure, the fastener extensions of the shield do not readily deflectwhen caught in the mesh.

Accordingly a primary object is to provide a fastener shield extensionwhich will readily deflect without loss of security for the fasteners.

Another object is to provide a fastener that is easily rotated in thenostrils of poultry. This serves to clear the nostrils and preventcaking of any feed or dirt that may enter the space.

Other objects are to provide a beak appliance that is made in a simpleplastic mold; of semi-rigid plastic; and which preferably uses adeformable wire fastener easy to apply with a simple compressing tool. 7

We accomplish these and other objects and obtain our new results as willbe apparent from the appliance described in the following specification,particularly pointed out in the claims and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the appliance in the form of a shieldinstalled on the beak of poultry;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the shield itself;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the shield;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the shield with a wire fastener shown inclosed position, the deflected view of the shield extensions being shownin dot-dash lines;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the closed wire fastener;

FIG. 6 is a similar view of the wire fastener before closing the endsthereof in the nostrils of poultry;

FIG. 7 is a side view of modified plastic shield provided with a slot topermit the semi-rigid plastic extension to deflect under pressure;

FIG. 8 is a side view of a shield showing a further modification of theextension.

Referring more in detail to the drawing the appliance illustrated inFIG. 2, is in the form of a shield 10 as shown in FIG. 4, which isV-shaped, the two legs 12 and 14 of the V-shaped body terminating in carlike extensions 16 and 18 respectively through which openings 20 and 22are provided.

A wire fastener 24 as appears in detail in FIGS. 4 6, is initiallyformed in diamond shape (FIG. 6) with two ends 26 and 28 being spacedapart to permit insertion over the shield and into openings 20 and 22 ofthe shield. Compression of the fastener with an appropriate tool, notshown, will drive the two ends 26 and 28 into the nostrils of thepoultry forming a triangular shape as is shown in FIG. 5. The tworemaining sides of the fastener 30 and 32 follow the V-shaped legs ofthe shield, withsufficient clearance when installed to permit swingingof the fastener from one side to another as is shown in FIG. 1, note thedot-dash position.

The plastic shield is made of semi-rigid plastic which may be above 1/16of an inch in thickness. By providing grooves34 and 36 on the inside ofthe extensions about where the ears extend from the body the extensionsare weakened at the base thereof and may be made to deflect as shown bythe dot-dash lines 18a and 16a. The groove may be about l/32 of an inchin depth, to permit the plastic extension to deflect with the pressuresdeveloped by a bird attempting to withdraw its head from a wire meshintowhich it has been caught.

Instead of a groove, a slot 34a may be made into the body 10a as isshown in ear 18a of FIG. 7, which makes flexure of the extension easierthan the solid plastic section.

Another modification is shown in FIG. 8 which com prises the uses ofperforations 34b in leg 18b of body 10b.

In all cases it will be noticed that the thickness of the cars has beenmaintained to give adequate bearing for the fastener extendingtherethrough. Thus it will prevent buckling or loss of support fromwear.

The thickness of the body also prevents buckling or wear at theshielding surface 40 and at the same time is sufliciently thick toprevent damage to adjacent poultry from the beak beyond which the shieldprojects as in FIG. 1. I

We have thus described our invention, but we desire it understood thatit is not confined to the particular forms shown and described, the samebeing merely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out inother ways without departing from the spirit of our invention, andaccordingly we claim all equivalent instrumentalities coming within thescope of the appended claims, and by means of which objects of ourinvention are obtained and new results accomplished since the particularemdodiments herein shown and described are only. some of the many thatcan be employed to obtain these objects and accomplish these results.

I claim;

1. A poultry beak appliance which comprises a plastic body portion formounting on a poultry beak to prevent damage from pecking, saidappliance comprising a body portion and oppositely directed integrallyextending ear portions, said ear portions having apertures therein andbeing provided with weakened portions to permit flexing of said earportions along said weakened portions, fastener means having projectingend members insertable through said apertures of said ear portions andinto the nostrils of the poultry, said fastener being deformed to securethe body of the appliance to the nostrils of the poultry, said fastenermeans capable of guiding said ear portions when said ear portions areflexed whereby the ear portions are capable of being flexed along saidweakened portion to permit the poultry to withdraw its head from ameshtype fence enclosure and said ear portions can thereafter springback to the normal non-flexed positions.

2. The poultry beak appliance of claim I wherein the weakened portion isformed by a slot running parallel to the surface of the ear portions.

the fastener is provided with a loop entending over the body portion ofthe appliance having a length greater than the periphery of the enclosedbody portion to permit pivoting movement of the fastener in the nostrilsof the poultry.

7. The poultry beak appliance of claim 1 having an outside and an insidesurface, wherein the weakened portion is formed by removing a part ofthe ear portions on the inside surface thereof to permit maximumdeflection.

1. A poultry beak appliance which comprises a plastic body portion formounting on a poultry beak to prevent damage from pecking, saidappliance comprising a body portion and oppositely directed integrallyextending ear portions, said ear portions having apertures therein andbeing provided with weakened portions to permit flexing of said earportions along said weakened portions, fastener means having projectingend members insertable through said apertures of said ear portions andinto the nostrils of the poultry, said fastener being deformed to securethe body of the appliance to the nostrils of the poultry, said fastenermeans capable of guiding said ear portions when said ear portions areflexed whereby the ear portions are capable of being flexed along saidweakened portion to permit the poultry to withdraw its head from amesh-type fence enclosure and said ear portions can thereafter springback to the normal non-flexed positions.
 2. The poultry beak applianceof claim 1 wherein the weakened portion is formed by a slot runningparallel to the surface of the ear portions.
 3. The poultry beakappliance of claim 1 wherein the weakened portion is formed by a slotextending entirely through the body wall.
 4. The poultry beak applianceof claim 1 wherein the weakened portion is formed by a series of holesformed in the body.
 5. The poultry beak appliance of claim 1 wherein thefastener is made of wire and and the appliance body, is mounted topermit only the fastener to rotate in the nostrils of poultry whenmounted thereto.
 6. The poultry beak appliance of claim 5, in which thefastener is provided with a loop extending over the body portion of theappliance having a length greater than the periphery of the enclosedbody portion to permit pivoting movement of the fastener in the nostrilsof the poultry.
 7. The poultry beak appliance of claim 1 having anoutside and an inside surface, wherein the weakened portion is formed byremoving a part of the ear portions on the inside surface thereof topermit maximum deflection.